Electric railway-signal.



J. B. HOWELL.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. 19M.

1,156,688. Patented 0011.12, 1915.

S e v \V I X M k N qr-{ s L j W lul WITNESSES: I l/Vl/ENTOR/ ATTORNEY.

erns JOHN B. HOWELL, OF'LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented e t. is, 1915.

Application filed February 24, 1914. Serial No. 820,432.

- Railway-Signals, of which the-following is a specification.

1 My invention relates to block signaling systems, and it is particularly adapted for use upon trolley lines having a single track,

- it being designed to guard the blocks between the different turnouts. j

H In the operation of the system a car entering atone end of a block sets two danger v signals, one at each end of the block, to notify either a following car or a car approachingthe other endof the block that said block is occupied.

The invention constitutes a simple and effective block signaling system which obviates the necessitv of the conductor leaving the car to change the, signals, as the operation of changing the signals from clear to danger or vice versa, is automatically ac-' complishecl by the moving car;

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying diagram in which:

1 designates a trolley-wire having 1n the present instance two turnouts 2 and 3.

4 designates a trolley whereby the system;

is actuated. 5 and 6 designate two doubleacting switches, preferably, of a type disclosed by my copending application filed Aug. 30,

1910, Serial Number 579,758. Switches 5 and G are pivotally-mounted intermediate their ends upon pins 7 and 8, respectively. Switch 5 is provided at its ends with tappets 9 and 10 adapted to alternately contact the trolley-wire 1, and switch 6 is provided at its ends with ta-ppets 11 and 12 for the same purpose.

13 and 14 designate drop-switches arranged above the adjacent ends of the double-acting switches 5 and 6,. respectively, which actuate said dropswitches as will hereinafter appear.

15 and 16 designate two contact points arranged beneath the drop-switches .18-14, respectively, to support said switches when the underlying ends of the double-acting switches 5 and 6 are in their lowermost position, see switch .5. Contact point 15 is connected to a contact point 17 by a circuit wire and 11, respectively.

18. Contact point 17 is arranged immediately above the dropeswitch v14 which, when in the raised position disclosed by the diagram, contacts said point.

19 designates a contact point arranged immediately above the drop-switch 13 to be contacted thereby when said drop-switch is raised by the double-acting switch 5. Contact point 19 is connected to the drop-switch 14 by a circuit wire 20.

Contact 16 communicates with a branch wire 21 communicating withthe circuit wire, 22, connectedat its terminals to tappets- 9 23 designates a contact point arranged above the drop-switch 18' to be contacted thereby when saiddrop-switch is raised into 1 engagement with, the contact, point 19. Contact point 23 is connected 'toithe free end of the drop-switch 14 by a wire 24.v

25 designates a circuit wlre connectedat its respective terminals to tappets 10 and 12,

and communicating with wire 20 through a branch 26. i I

27 designates circuit wire communicat ing with the drop-switch 13 and ground A. The circuit wire 27 communicates with safety signals 28, preferably,- in the. form of whitelamps, one of which is arranged at the end'of each turnout. 1

29 designates two danger signals, preferably, in' the form of red lamps,which like the white lamps, are. arranged at each end of a turnout. Lamps 29 communicate with ground 13 and the free end of the dropswitch 13, through a wire 27.

The drop switch 13 is insulated at 31 to prevent current from passing directlyitherethrough from wire 20 to wire 2-1, and drop switch 14 is'insulated at 22 to prevent current passingdirectly therethrough between the contact-points17 and 33 designates a dynamo or other source of electricity communicating with a wire 84, connected at its ends to the trolley wire 1 and ground C.

35 designates a contact point arranged immediately above the drop-switch 14 and communicating with tappet 12 through a wire 36.

When the switch occupies the position disclosed by the diagram, current'is supplied to the safety lamps 28 from the trolley-wire 1 through the tappet 10,v wires 25, 26, and

20, drop-switch 14, contact point 17, wire 18. I contact point 15, drop-switch 13, wire 27,-

ground A, and back to the trolley-wire 1 through ground C and wire 34. WVhen a trolley passing in the direction of arrow at strikes the switch 5, the same is rocked to reverse position and throws the drop-switch 13 up into engagement with the contact points 19 and 23, establishing a circuit through the danger lamps 29 from'the trolley-wire 1, through tappet 12, wire 36, contact point 35, drop-switch 14, wire 24, contact point 2-3, drop-switch 13, wire 80, ground B and back to the trolley through ground C and wire 34. As the trolley passes out of the block between the turnouts 2 and 8, it strikes the switch 6 and reverses the position thereof to that disclosed by the diagram, causing its tappet 11 to contact the trolley-wire 1 and allow the drop-switch 14 to drop into engagement with the contact point 16, thereby breaking the circuit through the danger signals 29. At the same time a. circuit is established through the safety signals 28, from the,trolley-wire 1, through the tappet 9, wires 22 and 21, contact point '16, drop-switch 14, wire 29, contact point 19, drop-switch 13, wire 27, ground A, and back to the trolley-wire through ground C and wire 34.

The signal circuits 27 and 30 are provided with manually-controlled switches 36 and 37, respectively, so that said signal circuits .may be cut off in the daytime if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v

1. In a block-signaling system, the combination of two circuits containing safety and danger signals at each end of the block, a switch adjacent one end of the block and communicating with a terminal of each cir- 4 cuit, two contact-points adapted to be engaged by said switch, a second switch adjacent the opposite end of the block and in circuit with said contact-points, a wire eX- tending from one switch to the other, said switches being arranged to simultaneously engage or disengage the terminals of said wire, a trolley-actuated switch at each end of the block to control the first-mentioned switches, said trolley-actuated switches having tappets to alternately engage the trolley wire, wires connecting said tappets in pairs, a wire 21 leading from one of the last mentioned wires to a point adjacent the second switch to be contacted thereby, and a wire 86 leading from a tappet on one of the trolley-actuated switches to a point adjacent the second switch to be contacted thereby.

2. In a block signaling system, a drop switch at each end of the block, two contactpoints located above each drop-switch, a contact-point beneath each drop-switch, a trolley-controlled rockable switch beneath each drop-switch to alternately throw the same into engagement with the adjacent upper and lower contact-points, tappets at the ends of each rockable switch to alternately contact the trolley-wire, signals at the ends of the block, and circuits leading to 4 said signals and controlled bythe switches. In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. HOWELL.

WVitnesses:

F. G. FISCHER, FRED C. FISCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtainegi for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

